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The Best Cannabis Strains for Beginners

In many instances, a bad first experience may be enough for someone to tragically banish cannabis from his or her life forever. Typically the reason for doing so has to do with the anxious, paranoid side effects associated with THC, but what first-timers might not realize is there are a few ways to minimize those unpleasant feelings. For those beginners and low-tolerance consumers, we’ve compiled three basic tips, tricks, and recommendations for finding that perfect first-time experience.

Note: You can filter “beginner strains” on dispensary menus to see if any of these recommendations are available near you.

Click to enlarge. (Elysse Feigenblatt/Leafly)

Find a Low-THC, High-CBD Cannabis Strain

Unlike THC, CBD is a non-intoxicating compound with relaxing and medicinal properties. CBD can help counteract the anxiety associated with THC, so it’s a perfect starting point for new users. You’ll often find strains with equal parts THC and CBD, but some contain almost no THC at all. We have plenty of high-CBD strains to browse in the database, but here are some of the most commonly found and widely embraced varieties:

Start Slow With THC-Dominant Cannabis Strains

Let’s start with the first and most obvious piece of advice: slowly ease into a THC-dominant cannabis strain, as they’re more likely to cause anxiety and paranoia. Settle yourself into a comfortable place and start with a low dose, maybe even just a single small hit if it’s your first time.

While many strains today tend to stretch toward a THC ceiling of 20 to 25 percent, those with less than 15 percent THC typically provide a less overwhelming experience. Keep in mind you’ll need lab-tested cannabis to know how much THC a flower contains, as amounts can vary between strains and even individual harvests. For example, one batch of Jack Herer may exhibit dramatically lower levels of THC than another, depending on how it was grown or phenotypic variances. Not only that, there’s additional variability that comes with each person’s unique brain chemistry and subjective experience.

What works for one beginner may not be the best for the next, but the below recommendations are meant to be starting points for those looking for a more balanced and mellow experience. These strains tend to deliver a more gentle euphoric experience, but once again, check the testing information specific to the item you’re interested in buying. If it has a THC content that exceeds 20%, chances are that strain may be too potent for your purposes.

Cannabis Delivery Methods Vary in Their Effects

Our parting advice to you aspiring cannabis champions: be mindful of the delivery method. The strain is only half of the story; smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting can all affect your overall experience. There’s no right or wrong choice here for beginners, but there are nuances between them that should be considered.

Smoking Cannabis for Beginners

Most people begin cannabis with smoking, which has its benefits and drawbacks. One advantage smoking offers is dose-control – it’s easy to take a small amount and the acute effects usually subside after 20 to 30 minutes. But if you can recall the burning sensation in your throat the first time you took a hit, you can imagine that smoking may also turn some folks off entirely.

Vaporizing Cannabis for Beginners

Vaporizing may in fact be the most ideal delivery method for newbies. It’s easy on the throat and lungs, dosing is easy, and the flower’s flavors are usually better preserved. Portable oil-filled vaporizer pens are a great place to begin since you can take a hit as needed, while table-top vaporizers give you a larger portion at once (which you might feel obligated to finish).

Edibles are a fantastic way to get around smoking cannabis. However, if you’re new to the game, start slow and dose low; the effects can take up to an hour or two to kick in, and they tend to be a lot more intense and long-lasting than inhaled cannabis. Novice consumers should start with a small dose–maybe just 5mg–and work their way up to the standard 10-20mg doses.

Cannabis Topicals for Beginners

Topicals are cannabis-infused lotions and balms that absorb transdermally for relief of pain, inflammation, and other localized symptoms. Most of them won’t get you high at all, so topicals are highly recommended to patients who want medical marijuana without all the cerebral hassle.

Bailey is an editor at Leafly, specializing in strains and health. She's spent 6+ years researching cannabis products, spreading patients’ stories, and exploring healthy ways of integrating cannabis into daily life.

By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.

YES ! Absolutely, I will take my MMJ Cannabis CBD Sativa and Indica on “Training Wheels” please Thank You ! I’m very happy to learn about the strains just for people like me. We don’t want to be stoned just relaxed, comfortable and without pain ! Nice to know there is a “Weaker” strain of Flowers (weed) for folks like myself. When I was younger I used to hear folks say hah ! i don’t want that weak Sh… In the back of my mind I was saying Oh wow… It was fine with me, I like it when the herb is less potent. Power to the Flowers ! and Peace to ALL A Native Sister from NYC ,NY

I’m in the same boat! I’ll tell you a little story. When I was 14 my cousin and I were passing around a bong in his garage and all was going okay until the effects started to kick in. It was my first time trying marijuana and I have no idea what strain we were smoking, but I had the WORST panic attack of my life. It felt like I was trapped inside of a freezer (I couldn’t stop shivering), while also being locked in some sort of weird numb dream. I remember sitting on his couch and he was just laughing at me but if he saw things through my eyes then it wouldn’t have been so funny!

Anyway, so happy that there’s strains out there that make you feel good and relaxed without having to worry about the potential negative side effects of getting stoned. Just turned 21 a few days ago and here in Washington State it’s legal so I’m really looking forward to checking out the shop and seeing what I can find 🙂

MindFog2287

The shivers are the worst.

Robert Burns

You forgot suppositories.

Elk Whistle

What about Marijuana Patches?

Eva Gilbert

Do they appear to help?

Dmember

Yes, the patches really help with sleep. The problem is the expense…all ‘other than’ flower is expensive.

Akiko Fujishima

The first thing I ever toked (My first time, I was 32, yeah, I avoided peer pressure.. lol), was Laughing Buddha, after that it was Grapefruit Diesel, after that HAZE, then sour diesel, now I’m hitting on some medical grade Gorilla Glue #1… I am IN LOVE with this strain! It takes care of ALL my medical issues, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, arthritis in my knees, chronic pain from a back injury I endured at the age of 17 that my mum ignored, so I never got proper treatment for, and even my depression. The side effect? I get sleepy, but that’s OK, it helps my insomnia as well. I really wish I had tried cannabis a lot sooner, it’s really, truly helped me, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the earth for the wonderful medication she provides. It should be legal the world over.

Here’s something I know fellow consumers will really appreciate… I was born 4/20 My mom’s mom is British and her name is Mary Jane (we even once found some ditch weed growing under a pecan tree that was growing in her yard..lol)… lol! My dad grew Acapulco Gold on the front porch back in the late 60s all the way into the early 80s… I was destine to medicate… lol!

UPDATE 4 Oct 2017: I just recently got a 1/2oz of Gorilla Cookies.. If you haven’t gotten it yet in your area, when you do.. TRY IT! I thought Gorilla Glue was my strain.. Until I met Gorilla Cookies.. It’s Gorilla Glue x Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.. Hands down THE best strain I’ve had (28% THC, extractions of 37%), and I usually try 2 new strains a month, as I need to have more than one strain because I was cursed with this insane body of mine that LOVES to build tolerances to things rapidly.. (when you need 8 shots of novocaine from your dentist just to remove a fibroma, well.. yeah.. lol.) so, it helps that I can switch back and forth between strains if it stops working for me. I have to do the same with my allergy medications, I have two separate Rxs for allergy medications from the same doctor. If only cannabis could do something for my ferocious cat allergy. 😀

Shona Davies

Check out AnnCannMed for your health prescriptions and medical purchases and feel support talking to licensed physicians

Henrik Hansson

I like the company. they were really helpful and did not withhold info. I love that

Char

Wish I read this article yesterday. Since the dispensary offers 50mg and 10mg oral pills of Sativa, I figured 10 was the low dose. I also figured oral would be less effective because of digestion. Boy was I wrong. What an awful experience! Only 20 minutes in and I could feel it overtaking me. It lasted all miserable day. Newbies, please heed the advice in this article. Also, because of this article, I will try high cbd where I otherwise would have given up. It was that bad.

Fun Please

10mg is low. You can be happy in the low $ aspects of low tolerance. Vape is better than smoking. As a very experienced cannabis user, if you wanted to try flower go with the Plushberry. Great smooth flavor, nice relaxing high. Just one small hit, don’t hold in. Wait for the effects. You’ll get it. Happy travels 🙂

MindFog2287

I know this was a few months ago, but if that ever happens again, squeeze a couple lemons into a glass and throw in the peel, then drink. Alternately, chew a couple peppercorns or smash up into a dust and inhale through your nose. Seriously. Google it. It supposedly works to counteract the THC. Cheers.

cbd oils

Thanks for providing an updated information on CBD(cannabis), It provides good knowledge about CBD and it usage and benefits.